Charges dropped against Baltimore man

UPDATE: Mateen Haleem, of Baltimore, was cleared of any wrongdoing after all criminal charges against him in the case were dropped, court records show.

STUARTS DRAFT — A robbery suspect on Sunday reportedly got his money and shared a smoke or two with his alleged victim, the sheriff's office said.

Sheriff's deputies then also charged the reported victim after he was less than truthful concerning the circumstances surrounding the alleged knifepoint robbery, authorities reported.

Mateen Haleem, 38, of Baltimore, is charged with robbery and burglary.

Justin Preziosi, 25, of Stuarts Draft, is charged with obstruction of justice and possession of a controlled substance.

The sheriff's office said the incident began at 3 a.m. on Sunday when Haleem, reportedly armed with a knife, began banging on an apartment door at the Montague Apartments in Stuarts Draft.

A woman at the apartment let Haleem inside. Once in the apartment, Haleem demanded money and Preziosi gave him a wallet containing $79, according to the sheriff's office.

The woman left for work at 4:45 a.m., but Preziosi called her and told her that Haleem refused to leave, an arrest report stated. Deputies were eventually called to the scene, where they found Haleem lying on a couch and Preziosi sitting in a chair.

A knife and a wallet containing $79 were confiscated. The sheriff's office also noted that Preziosi and Haleem reportedly smoked cigarettes together outside of the apartment during the incident.

Justin Preziosi(Photo: Submitted)

When Preziosi was asked if he knew Haleem, he reportedly told authorities he recognized him from a party he attended the night before. Haleem claimed he was in Virginia visiting family, and said Preziosi owed him money after he loaned him cash for diapers and groceries, the sheriff's office said.

When Preziosi was asked for his cellphone "he gave deputies the runaround," said Deputy Felicia Glick, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. The phone was eventually located in his back pocket. After that, Preziosi told deputies he allegedly was fronted oxycodone, a controlled substance, by Haleem. But Preziosi said a deal with a potential buyer fell through and that Haleem allegedly wanted the drugs back.

"It's a pretty convoluted story," Glick said.

Both men were arrested. Haleem remains at Middle River Regional Jail, and Preziosi is free on bond.